Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's Hospital placed in top 5% of nation

Contact: Brian Reardon (217) 544-6464, ext. 44306

SPRINGFIELD - St. John's Hospital is recognized as the best in the region for fighting cardiovascular disease. For several years in a row, Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's Hospital has received five-star ratings for excellence in cardiology from HealthGrades, the nation's leading healthcare quality company. St. John's Hospital also has received a five-star rating for stroke care and placed it as the 'best in the region' for treatment of stroke.

Prairie Heart Institute at St. John's Hospital's ratings not only consistently rank it the best cardiac services in central Illinois but places services among the top 5% in the nation for cardiology.

"We're very pleased and proud to again be recognized with these outstanding HealthGrades quality ratings which validate our commitment to clinical excellence," said Jim Zito, executive director of Prairie Heart Institute. "Top ratings from an independent, objective national source demonstrate the quality care that our physicians, nurses and staff deliver to patients and families in our institute every day."

St. John's cardiac care at Prairie Heart Institute and stroke care was analyzed among 5,000 hospitals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Clinical outcomes, performance and quality were measured. HealthGrades assessed whether patient outcomes for each of more than two dozen procedures and diagnoses are better than expected (5-Star), as expected (3-Star), or worse than expected (1-Star).

"St. John's Hospital stands out notably in terms of delivering quality care for its cardiac and stroke patients," noted Dick Carlson, executive vice president of St. John's Hospital. "Patients, families and employees here truly have access to healthcare that is among the best in the nation. As cardiovascular disease continues to be the nation's #1 killer, it's an honor to know that we're doing all we can and are recognized for our efforts in combating heart disease and stroke."

The 2005 HealthGrades ratings for all hospitals nationwide are available, free of charge, on the web at www.healthgrades.com.

More than one million unique users and 125 major employers visit the HealthGrades web site every month to access quality information about hospitals, nursing homes and physicians.